Tips for smart shoppers
There is no shortage of scams out there today. Consumers of all ages and nationalities are targeted by con artists whose primary goal is to part you from your money. The best way to avoid being taken advantage of is to become a smarter consumer.

Record industry files 532 suits against illegal music downloaders
WASHINGTON The recording industry on Wednesday sued 532 computer users it said were illegally distributing songs over the Internet, the first lawsuits since a federal appeals court blocked the use of special copyright subpoenas to identify those being targeted.

Longer halibut season nixed
A 10.5-month halibut fishing season would be easier to implement than a year-round season, according to a study presented Tuesday at the International Pacific Halibut Commission's annual meeting.

Biotech insects may fight disease, but at what cost?
SAN FRANCISCO Some high-tech insect experiments soon may be flitting out of the laboratory: Mosquitos genetically modified to eliminate malaria. Silk-worms engineered to produce bulletproof vests. Bollworm moths designed to self-destruct before they can wipe out cotton crops.

Soaring energy prices could hurt economy
NEW YORK (AP) The troubled labor market might not be the only thorn in the economy's side. Surging energy prices could also do their part to throw the recovery off its course.

Military memoir gives likeable look at Alaska
Cheechakos. Alaskans apply that term to those new neighbors whose car went in the ditch the first day it snowed and to those blue-haired tourists who back up traffic with their land yachts.

New version of book reignites old debate
NEW YORK ''The Story of Little Black Sambo,'' a tale about a boy who outwits four fierce tigers by giving up his new clothes, has been reprinted with new illustrations to replace the condescending renderings of its young black protagonist.

What's Happening
Best BetsEvents and ExhibitsEntertainmentUpcoming EventsFilmsDown the RoadAnchorage Events

Former Fish and Game employee corrects record on his performance
Former Board of Fisheries member Dan Coffey states (Peninsula Clarion, Jan. 20) that the Kenai River Sockeye Salmon Model was not presented for peer review by scientists or the public prior to just before the Board of Fish meeting in 1999. This is not correct.

Congress should defend gun control laws in effect
Even if you believe that freedom is meaningless unless you are armed, you should still support gun control. And you should tell Congress to defend our nation's gun laws, which are under attack by the gun lobby.

Resident will gladly give dividend to re-acquire gas leases near home
Sen. Tom Wagoner's sermon on coal-bed methane development illustrates how out of touch some legislators are with their constituents on the subject. The Kenai senator, not unlike our Sen. Scott Ogan, seems outraged that others do not share his vision. He fails to recognize that policies developed exclusive of and contrary to one's constituency discourage public confidence.

Assembly votes 5-4 to wait on POMV pending conference
By one vote, the nine-member Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly decided Tuesday night not to oppose a resolution being considered by state lawmakers that would amend the Alaska Constitution to establish a percent-of-market-value system for handling the Alaska Permanent Fund.

Commercial fishing shows signs of aging
In its three years of existence, Cook Inlet Salmon Branding Inc. has enjoyed some modest success and is seeing encouraging signs that its Kenai Wild products may be gaining access to Outside markets.

Aircraft flat tax delayed
Pilots who use their planes and helicopters in business ventures like air taxi and charter services turned out in force at

One more reason nation needs new fuel standards
Subaru's decision to transform its Outback sedan into a light truck in an effort to avoid tougher fuel economy and air pollution standards is just one more reason for a national policy that would prevent such conversions.

Weighing costs, benefits
There's no doubt that the proposal before the legislature (CSHB240) that would allow electronic gaming machines in licensed beverage dispensary locations continues to be a contentious issue.

Local Ski Trail conditions
Tsalteshi Trails Located behind Skyview High School, with trail heads at the high school parking lot and on Kalifornsky Beach Road just across from the Soldotna Sports Center. Difficulty Trails for all levels.

Leafs skate past Caps on Ponikarovsky goals
WASHINGTON Alexei Ponikarovsky, who has scored four of his seven NHL goals against Olaf Kolzig, beat the goaltender twice in the third period Wednesday night to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals.

Cassell's double-double leads Minnesota to win
TORONTO Sam Cassell had 30 points and 13 assists to lead Minnesota to a 108-97 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, the Timberwolves' seventh win their last eight games.

Winter X goes prime time
DENVER Snowboarders will slide off rails, motorcyclists will flip over a 70-foot gap, and snowmobilers will trade paint on Aspen's slopes.

Houston sports scene sizzles
HOUSTON Roger Clemens will play for the Astros, the Spurs are NBA champions, Bill Parcells has the Cowboys on the rise and the Super Bowl is coming to Houston.

Two close calls
The Kenai Central High School hockey team skated to a win Thursday, narrowly defeating Palmer, 7-5, in a North Star Conference game at Brett Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla.

Flyers have Primeau night vs. Rangers
NEW YORK Keith Primeau had two assists just hours after being selected to the All-Star game, and the Philadelphia Flyers snapped out of a power-play slump in a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

No. 2 Stanford remains unbeaten
STANFORD, Calif. Justin Davis made his first nine shots on the way to 21 points, and No. 2 Stanford stayed unbeaten with a 67-52 victory over UCLA on Thursday night.

Alaska Sportswriters Prep Basketball Poll
The Alaska Sportswriters Prep Basketball Poll as compiled by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, with first-place votes in parenthesis, record and total points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis.

Top-seeded Henin-Hardenne advances
MELBOURNE, Australia Top-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne rallied from a break down in the second set to beat Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 7-5 Friday and advance to the fourth round of the Australian Open.